Franklin Pain and Wellness Center

Pain is the number one reason people seek medical care according to the American Pain Society. As more and more Americans seek pain management services, it is no surprise that quality pain specialists are in high demand.

Currently, very little pain management education is provided in medical schools. According to a Johns Hopkins University study published in The Journal of Pain, out of 117 medical schools that participated in the study, a majority of these schools are teaching one or more core topics in pain, but many schools are not reporting any pain teaching and most others devote less than five hours to pain education. Further, the authors found that cancer pain, pediatric pain and geriatric pain are essentially unaddressed by the vast majority of medical schools.

What does this mean for pain management? Pain patients must seek out professionals who specialize in pain. The specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center have undergone additional education, post medical school, in order to focus on chronic pain management. Additionally, the specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center continue to take continuing education courses to stay on top of the evolving techniques and procedures in the pain management industry.

If you suffer from chronic pain and are seeking pain management treatment, call The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center at (508) 507-8818 to schedule your evaluation or e-mail staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

Our comprehensive pain management approach offers procedures and treatments to help manage your patient's pain.

"I had been in pain for over seven years. I tried so many treatments and medications to help. Nothing worked. My last specialist was the staff at Warwick Pain Center. Dr. Shwartzman and his staff truly helped and I have recommended them to others. Although I can’t say I’m pain free, I can say that my quality of life is so much better."

- Therese S.
Radiofrequency Facet Neurotomy

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a type of nerve pain that affects the skin of the face.  A common symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is sharp electric-like spasms that last a few seconds, minutes or may even become constant.  Pain is generally felt on one side of the face.  Usually the spasms occur around the eye, cheek and lower part of the face. 

The pain stems from the trigeminal nerve and sends pain signals via it’s extended branches to the face.  Generally, when the root of the trigeminal nerve is compressed, it misfires, resulting in these painful attacks.  

Trigeminal nerve blocks are one of the treatments offered at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center to control the pain caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia.  Nerve blocks are most effective when repeated several times over weeks or months.  This way, the pain can be controlled for much longer. 

To find out if Trigeminal Nerve Blocks are a good treatment option for you, or to discuss your pain solution, call The Franklin Pain and Wellness at (508) 507-8818 or e-mail at staff@franklinpaincenter.com.

No one should live with pain. This holiday season give a gift to yourself, learn how to relieve your pain without narcotics.

Whether you suffer from back pain, cancer pain, or neck pain, a pain specialist can help. Chronic pain is pain that has been going on for 3 to 6 months since it began.

Cancer patients or patients recovering from surgery are often prone to chronic pain. Many feel they need to live with the pain as an alternative to taking narcotic pain medication. This is not the case. The pain specialists at Franklin Pain and Wellness have determined methods and treatments to minimize chronic pain such as lower back; neck; headaches; post herpetic neuralgia (shingles); reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD); maxillofacial pain and other chronic ailments.

Our team of nurses and anesthesiologists are specifically trained in pain management. Working with your physician, we will determine the best course of treatment for you; contact us.

There is a new treatment available for patients who suffer from Cervical, Thoracic or Lumbar Disc Herniations. Endoscopic Disectomy is a minimally invasive spine procedure that relieves pressure caused by scar tissue and abnormal bone. Endoscopic Disectomy can also help conditions such as Bulging Discs, Degenerative Disc Disease, Nerve Root Compression, Radiculitis, Radiculopathy, Scar Tissue and Pinched Nerves.

Endoscopic Disectomy is performed by passing a tube-like instrument to the injured disc, while avoiding cutting the surrounded muscles. A light guided wire device called an endoscope, along with a medical laser, is passed through the tube into the spinal disc. The laser vaporizes the herniation and removes the abnormal bone and scar tissue found in the spinal disc area. Patients are able to return home the day of treatment.

This procedure is preferred among back pain sufferers because it provides relief without the time, cost and recovery period associated with surgery. Sometimes Endoscopic Disectomy can even help those who have had failed back surgery.

Call 508-507-8818 or e-mail The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center today to schedule an evaluation. If Endoscopic Disectomy is not the exact procedure for your pain condition, our specialists will advise the best treatment for your specific pain.

Minimizing Medication Dependency of Difficult Chronic Pain Patients.

Case of the Month - Spinal Cord Stimulation as an alternative to narcotics.

There are so many causes of pain. Many people feel the pain is untreatable, or the medication required is habit forming, not good for them, or causes side effects. Acute pain such as pain after surgery, recent injury, nerve damage musculoskeletal or an acquired medical illness that persists and evolves into chronic pain would require the involvement of a pain specialist.

The field of anesthesiology has long been known to manage pain associated with surgery or child labor. These specialists have now determined methods and treatments to also minimize chronic pain.

The pain specialists, nurses and anesthesiologists, at Franklin Pain and Wellness Center are specifically trained in pain management and will work with your primary care physician to establish the best course of treatment for you.
If you are living with chronic pain, or have been taking narcotics for chronic pain and are seeking an alternative, contact the Franklin Pain and Wellness Center.

Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the virus that causes chickenpox.  After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant in nerves in the body. Years later, shingles occurs after that virus becomes active again in the nerves.

It is not clear why the virus suddenly again becomes active; but usually only one attack occurs; however, the pain from shingles can last for months. Shingles can develop in any age group, but it is  more likely to develop if you are older than 60, had chickenpox before you were 1, or if your immune system is weakened by medication or disease.

With shingles you usually experience one-sided pain, tingling, or burning. The pain and burning may be severe and is usually present before any rash appears. Those suffering with shingles can also experience abdominal pain, chills, difficulty moving some of the muscles in the face, and headaches and joint pain as well as a number of other symptoms.

This pain can last for months or even years, so shingles treatment is important in order to maintain daily life functions. The pain specialists at The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center will take your medical history and symptoms into account to create a plan for treatment aimed at minimizing your pain.

Arthritis is a condition that is caused by inflammation of one or more joints. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. This is caused by age, infection of the joint or trauma to the joint.

Sometimes, muscles surrounding the joint become over strained trying to move the inflamed joint. Damage in the joint caused by arthritis, combined with daily wear and tear of the joint can be very painful and over time cause inability to use certain parts of your body. Arthritis in the hands for example, may make it unbearable to pick objects up or even type on the computer.

At The Franklin Pain and Wellness Center, the pain specialists can perform some procedures to help mitigate the pain associated with arthritis. A thorough evaluation of your condition, combined with images and previous records, will be studied by one of our pain specialists. Following the evaluation, you will receive a customized treatment plan aimed to help you control your pain. To schedule an appointment, please e-mail us at staff@franklinpaincenter.com or call us at (508) 507-8818.

Phantom limb pain is mild to extreme pain felt in the area where a limb has been amputated. A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts.

Approximately 60 to 80% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations in their amputated limb, and the majority of the sensations are painful. Phantom limb pain may also occur after the removal of body parts other than the limbs, e.g. after amputation of the breast. Phantom limb pain is usually intermittent. The frequency and intensity of attacks usually decline with time.

Although the limb is no longer there, the nerve endings continue to send pain signals to the brain causing the brain think the limb is still there. A slightly different sensation known as phantom pains can also occur in people who are born without limbs. It is often described as a burning or similarly strange sensation and can be extremely painful for some.  The exact sensation differs widely. Other sensations include warmth, cold, itching, squeezing, tightness, and tingling.

Treatments for phantom limb pain can range from visual and thought exercises to spinal cord stimulation (SCS). SCS can be effective treatment for phantom limb pain. An electrical stimulator is implanted under the skin, and an electrode is placed next to the spinal cord. The nerve pathways in the spinal cord are stimulated by an electric current. This interferes with the impulses traveling towards the brain and lessens the pain felt in the phantom limb.